NSF names Iowa State an Innovation Corps campus

Iowa State University has been named an Innovation Corps site by the National Science Foundation, giving it more resources to bring their research to the mass market.

According to a news release, The NSF program is designed to train faculty and students on how to start and develop a business with the goal of getting them out of academia and into their own companies, from developing products to putting them on the market over seven weeks of training.

There are about 50 other universities across the U.S. that are Innovation Corps sites, including the University of Iowa.

Kristine Johansen, a program manager in ISU’s Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations and a co-principal investigator for the program, said the designation will give the university $500,000 over five years to distribute among teams of researchers working together on a specific project. The teams then use most of the funds to travel and interview potential customers.

She said the program is looking to bring on 30 teams each year for training, and graduates from the program are also eligible to apply for a spot in the Startup Factory in the ISU Research Park or the national Innovation Corps program to further develop their business.

“We’re hoping that the teams will be composed of faculty and postdocs that might be considering a non-academic role as part of research and there’s potential for innovation or discovery when they pursue launching a startup company,” she said.

Those interested in working with the Innovation Corps can learn more during informational sessions from 9 to 10 a.m. on Sept. 11 and 12 at the Memorial Union Gallery and Pioneer Room, respectively.